2023年大学英语四级阅读题

2023年大学英语四级阅读题Directions:Thereare4readingpassagesinthispart.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA),B),C)andD).YoushoulddecideonthebestchoiceandmarkthecorrespondingletterontheAnswerSheetwithasinglelinethroughthecenter.

PassageOne

Questions21to25arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

Acculturation,whichbeginsatbirth,istheprocessofteachingnewgenerationsofchildrenthecustomsandvaluesoftheparentsculture.Howpeopletreatnewborns,forexample,canbeindicativeofculturalvalues.IntheUnitedStatesitisnotuncommonforparentstoputanewborninaseparateroomthatbelongsonlytothechild.Thishelpstopreserveparentsprivacyandallowsthechildtogetusedtohavinghisorherownroom,whichisseenasafirststeptowardpersonalindependence.Americanstraditionallyhaveheldindependenceandacloselyrelatedvalue,individualism,inhighesteem.Parentstrytoinstilltheseprevailingvaluesintheirchildren.AmericanEnglishexpressesthesevaluepreferences:childrenshouldcutthe(umbilical)cordandareencouragednottobetiedtotheirmothersapronstrings.Intheprocessoftheirsocializationchildrenlearntolookoutfornumberoneandtostandontheirowntwofeet.

Manychildrenaretaughtataveryearlyagetomakedecisionsandberesponsiblefortheiractions.Oftenchildrenworkformoneyoutsidethehomeasafirststeptoestablishingautonomy.Nine-orten-year-oldchildrenmaydelivernewspapersintheirneighborhoodsandsaveorspendtheirearnings.Teenagers(13to18years)maybaby-sitneighborshomesinordertoearnafewdollaraweek.Receivingaweeklyallowanceatanearlyageteacheschildrentobudgettheirmoney,preparingthemforfuturefinancialindependence.Manyparentsbelievethatmanagingmoneyhelpschildrenlearnresponsibilityaswellasappreciatethevalueofmoney.

21.Accordingtothispassage,thewaypeopletreatnewborns_____.

A)isasignoftheircustoms

B)isanindicationoftheirlevelofknowledge

C)symbolizestheirsocialsystem

D)variesfromculturetoculture

22.Theexpression,tocutthecord,isusedtoshowthat_____.

A)childrendontliketheirparents

B)parentsdontfeelclosetotheirchildren

C)parentswouldnotliketolivetogetherwiththeirchildren

D)independencefromonesfamilyisanimportantpersonalgoalinUSA

23.Childrenwhoaretiedtotheapronstrings_____.

A)arecaughtintheirmothersaprons

B)mustalwayswearanapronwhentheyeat

C)areverydependentontheirmothers

D)areindependentfromtheirparents

24.Americanpeopleoftenlettheirchildrenworkformoneyoutsidethehomeataveryearlyagebecause_____.

A)childrenhavetoearnmoneytohelpthefamily

B)theyneedmoremoney

C)theywantthemtobeginestablishingautonomy

D)childrenhavetosavemoneyforfutureuse

25.Itcanbeinferredfromthispassagethat_____.

A)Americansaremoneylovers

B)Americansadmireindependence

C)Americansaregoodatdecision-making

D)Americansareallresponsible

PassageTwo

Questions26to30arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

Manypeoplebelievethattheglarefromsnowcausessnowblindness.Yet,darkglassesornot,theyfindthemselvessufferingfromheadachesandwateringeyes,andevensnowblindness,whenexposedtoseveralhoursofsnowlight.

TheUnitedStatesArmyhasnowdeterminedthatglarefromsnowdoesnotcausesnowblindnessintroopsinasnow-coveredcountry.Rather,amanseyesfrequentlyfindnothingtofocusoninabroadexpanseofbarrensnow-coveredterrain.Sohisgazecontinuallyshiftsandjumpsbackandforthovertheentirelandscapeinsearchofsomethingtolookat.Findingnothing,hourafterhour,theeyesneverstopsearchingandtheeyeballsbecomesoreandtheeyemusclesache.Natureoffsetsthisirritationbyproducingmoreandmorefluidwhichcoverstheeyeballs.Thefluidcoverstheeyeballinincreasingquantityuntilvisionblurs,thenisobscured,andtheresultistotal,eventhoughtemporary,snowblindness.

ExperimentsledtotheArmytoasimplemethodofovercomingthisproblem.Scoutsaheadofamainbodyoftroopsaretrainedtoshakesnowfromevergreenbushes,creatingadottedlineastheycrosscompletelysnow-coveredlandscape.Eventhescoutsthemselvesthrowlightweight,darkcoloredobjectsaheadonwhichtheytoocanfocus.Themenfollowingcanthenseesomething.Theirgazeisarrested.Theireyesfocusonabushandhavingfoundsomethingtosee,stopscouringthesnow-blanketedlandscape.Byfocusingtheirattentionononeobjectatatime,themencancrossthesnowwithoutbecominghopelesslysnowblindorlost.Inthiswaytheproblemofcrossingasolidwhiteterrainisovercome.

26.Topreventheadache,wateringeyesandblindnesscausedbytheglarefromsnow,darkglassesare_____.

A)indispensable

B)useful

C)ineffective

D)available

27.Whentheeyesaresoretearsareproducedto_____.

A)clearthevision

B)remedysnowblindness

C)easetheirritation

D)loosenthemuscles

28.Snowblindnessmaybeavoidedby_____.

A)concentratingonthesolidwhiteterrain

B)searchingforsomethingtolookatinsnow-coveredterrain

C)providingtheeyeswithsomethingtofocuson

D)coveringtheeyeballswithfluid

29.Theeyeballsbecomesoreandtheeyemusclesachebecause_____.

A)tearscovertheeyeballs

B)theeyesareirritatedbyblindingsunlight

C)theeyesareirritatedbyblindingsnow

D)thereisnothingtofocuson

30.Asuitabletitleforthepassagewouldbe_____.

A)SnowblindnessandHowtoOvercomeIt

B)NaturesCureforSnowblindness

C)SoldiersintheSnow

D)SnowVision

PassageThree

Questions31to35arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

Untilthe1980s,theAmericanhomelesspopulationcomprisedmainlyoldermales.Today,homelessnessstrikesmuchyoungerpartofsociety.Infact,a25-citysurveybytheU.S.ConferenceofMayorsin1987foundthatfamilieswithchildrenmakeupthefastestgrowingpartofthehomelesspopulation.Manyhomelesschildrengatherininnercities;thistransientandfrequentlyfrightenedstudentpopulationcreatesadditionalproblems-bothlegalandeducational-foralreadyoverburdenedurbanschooladministratorsandteachers.

EstimatesofthenumberofhomelessAmericansrangefrom350,000tothreemillion.Likewise,estimatesofthenumberofhomelessschoolchildrenvaryradically.AU.S.DepartmentofEducationreport,basedonstateestimates,statesthatthereare220,000homelessschool-agechildren,aboutathirdofwhomdonotattendschoolonaregularbasis.ButtheNationalCoalitionfortheHomelessestimatesthatthereareatleasttwotimesasmanyhomelesschildren,andthatlessthanhalfofthemattendschoolregularly.

Onepartofthehomelesspopulationthatisparticularlydifficulttocountconsistsofthethrowawayyouthswhohavebeencastofftheirhomes.TheElementarySchoolCenterinNewYorkCityestimatesthatthereare1.5millionofthem,manyofwhomarenotcountedaschildrenbecausetheydonotstayinfamilysheltersandtendtolivebythemselvesonthestreets.

Federallaw,theStewartMcKinneyHomelessAssistanceActof1987,includesasectionthataddressestheeducationalneedsofhomelesschildren.TheeducationalprovisionsoftheMcKinneyActarebasedonthebeliefthatallhomelesschildrenhavetherighttoafree,appropriateeducation.

31.In1987,theAmericanhomelesspopulationwasmadeupof_____.

A)oldermalesB)schoolchildren

C)adultsD)bothAandB

32.Theauthorimpliesinthefirstparagraphthat_____.

A)thehomelesspopulationisgrowingrapidly

B)thereisseriousshortageofschooladministratorsandteachers

C)homelesschildrenoftenmovefromplacetoplace

D)homelesschildrenusuallystayoutsideschools

33.TheNationalCoalitionfortheHomelessestimatesthatthereare_____homelesschildren.

A)7000,000B)350,000

C)440,000D)70,000

34.Onepartofthehomelesspopulationisdifficulttocount.Thereasonmightbethat_____.

A)homelesschildrenliveonthestreets

B)homelesschildrenhavenoparents

C)thehomelessaretooyoungtobecountedaschildren

D)thehomelesschildrenarenottakenasmembersoftheirfamilies

35.TheaimoftheMcKinneyActisto_____.

A)offereducationforhomelesschildren

B)providefamilysheltersforhomelesschildren

C)reducethenumberofhomelesschildren

D)estimatethenumberofhomelesspopulation

PassageFour

Questions36to40arebasedonthefollowingpassage.

Ifwomenaremercilesslyexploitedyearafteryear,theyhaveonlythemselvestoblame.Becausetheytrembleatthethoughtofbeingseeninpublicinclothesthatareoutoffashion,theyarealwaystakenadvantageofbythedesignersandthebigstores.Clotheswhichhavebeenwornonlyafewtimeshavetobeputasidebecauseofthechangeoffashion.Whenyoucometothinkofit,onlyawomaniscapableofstandinginfrontofawardrobe(衣柜)packedfullofclothesandannouncingsadlythatshehasnothingtowear.

Changingfashionsarenothingmorethantheintentionalcreationofwaste.Manywomenspendvastsumsofmoneyeachyeartoreplaceclothesthathavehardlybeenworn.Womenwhocannotaffordtothrowawayclothinginthisway,wastehoursoftheirtimealteringthedressestheyhave.Skirtsarelengthenedorshortened;necklinesareloweredorraised,andsoon.

Noonecanclaimthatthefashionindustrycontributesanythingreallyimportanttosociety.Fashiondesignersarerarelyconcernedwithvitalthingslikewarmth,comfortanddurability(耐用).Theyareonlyinterestedinoutwardappearanceandtheytakeadvantageofthefactthatwomenwillputupwithanyamountofdiscomfort,aslongastheylookright.Therecanhardlybeamanwhohasntatsometimeinhislifesmiledatthesightofawomanshakinginathindressonawinterday,ordelicatelypickingherwaythroughdeepsnowinhigh-heeledshoes.

Whencomparingmenandwomeninthematteroffashion,theconclusionstobedrawnareobvious.Dotheconstantlychangingfashionsofwomensclothes,onewonders,reflectbasicqualitiesofinconstancyandinstability?Menaretooclevertoletthemselvesbecheatedbyfashiondesigners.Dotheirunchangingstylesofdressreflectbasicqualitiesofstabilityandreliability?Thatisforyoutodecide.

36.Designersandbigstoresalwaysmakemoney.

A)bymercilesslyexploitingwomenworkersintheclothingindustry

B)becausetheyarecapableofpredictingnewfash